Brighton 3, Alta 1SANDY -- Top-ranked Brighton is probably unbeatable. It proved that Tuesday.
Behind some outstanding play by its forwards, great ball control from its midfielders and overpowering play from its defenders, Brighton defeated second-ranked Alta 3-1.
"They do a better job of going to the ball than any team I've ever seen," said Alta coach Lee Mitchell.
It didn't matter that it was cold, windy and wet Tuesday, Brighton's players pursued the ball relentlessly, with no fear. It paid off, too, as the Bengals beat their archrival for the second time this season.
"We knew it was going to be a very tough match," said Brighton assistant coach Russell Boyer. "We just tried to stay with our game and capitalize on our three forwards up front."
It took Brighton's forwards all of about 20 seconds to make their presence felt as Skyler Rohbock banged a shot off the post. A few minutes later Alta's Jeff Burt had a great opportunity of his own inside the box, but he missed the ball and it slowly dribbled to the keeper.
In the 10th minute, Alta's Garrett Treuhaft didn't whiff. After a failed clearance by a Brighton defender, Treuhaft had a breakaway, and he easily beat the keeper, giving Alta the early lead.
The celebration didn't last long, however. Four minutes after Alta's goal, Brighton junior Jared Rasmussen slotted a perfect pass to sophomore Jon Viehweg, who easily converted.
"We came out really intense, and they did too," said Boyer. "There was a lot of action until things got settled down."
It may have taken 15 minutes to occur, but eventually the pace slowed, which played into Alta's favor in the first half. The Bengals won the coin flip before the game, and chose to play with the gusty winds at their back in hoping to gain the early advantage.
With two minutes remaining in the half, the score was still knotted at 1-1, and the Hawks appeared to have weathered the storm. Then an Alta defender made a silly foul in the box and Rasmussen converted on the penalty kick to put the Bengals up 2-1.
Considering Alta would have the wind at its back in the second half, the Hawks were still in pretty good position to rally. It never happened, though.
"Brighton outplayed us, especially in the second half," said Mitchell. "The first half was very even, and I felt good about our chances in the second half."
The Bengals dictated the tempo in the final 40 minutes, which included a goal early in the second half by Viehweg. The teams aren't scheduled to meet again this season, but there's a very good chance they'll meet in the state tournament.
"I don't know if we'd like it," said Boyer. "But it will probably happen. The Brighton-Alta rivalry is always great, it's a game we always look forward to."
Alta is now 0-4 against Brighton in the past two years, but Mitchell isn't afraid of another match with Brighton in the playoffs.
"You'd always like to think you could (win)," said Mitchell. "They are a very class-act team."
You can reach James Edward by e-mail at jedward@desnews.com